在中國的傳統社會中，「男尊女卑」、「女子無才便是德」的觀念，貶抑了婦女 的地位，女子教育的內容在學習「事父母之道、事舅姑之道、教子女之道」。清代的台灣， 由於其有移墾社會的型態，因著經濟的因素和偏差的觀念，女子更受到不合人道的待遇，社 會流傳鬻女、溺女、纏足等陋俗。清末西方宜教士來華後，以教育為傳教的媒介，藉興教辦 學啟迪民智、培養本土傳教人員。他們譴責纏足陋俗、推廣女子教育思潮、設立女子學校， 培育女子教師和婦女傳教人才。光緒十三年 (一八八七 )，在英國長老教會李庥夫婦的積極 努力下，成立了台南長老教女學，這是臺灣南部第一所現代女子學校，「禁止纏足」的入學 規定、融合現代科學知識的課程設計，可謂開風氣之先。不僅對後來台灣婦女的傳教事業有 顯著的貢獻，並且開啟女子受教育之門，藉教育來改善社會陋俗，提昇婦女地位。

　　　　　In the traditional Chinese society, the concepts of "man superior to woman" and "uneducated woman being virtuous" debased woman's social position. Girls' education lay in learning the way "to serve parents, to serve uncles and aunts and to teach children." Taiwan, in Ching dynasty had the immigrant pattern of agricultural society. With the factors of economy and prejudice, woman was treated inhumanly. Vile customs were prevailing in society, such as selling girls, drowning girls to death, shrinking g irls' feet by tight bandage...... ect. In the late of Ching dynasty, western missionaries spread their religion inChina by means of education. Through promoting learning and building schools, they enlightened Chinese intellect and cultivated Chinese own preachers. They blamed the vile customs of binding girls' feet, promoted thethoughts of girls' education, built girls' schools and cultivated female teachers and preachers. In the 13th year of Kuang Hsu (1887), under the active efforts of Rev. and Mrs. Hugh Ritchie of English Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Girls' School was founded. This is the first modern girls' school in South Taiwan. It originated "prohibiting binding girls' feet" as the admission regulation and blended modern scientific knowledge in devising curricula. It contributed considerably to the female preachers' work in Taiwan afterwards and opened the door of girls' education. Thus, education was employed to correct vile social customs and to elevate woman's social position.